nii ... kui ka
Both ... and
Ta räägib nii eesti kui ka vene keelt means She speaks both Estonian and Russian.
How It Works
nii ... kui ka means both ... and. It is stronger than ja because it points at each part.
- Nouns: Ta räägib nii eesti kui ka vene keelt. Seda teavad nii lapsed kui ka täiskasvanud.
- Adjectives and adverbs: Oleme koos nii heas kui ka halvas. Ta töötab nii kodus kui ka kontoris.
- Verbs: Lapsed nii mängivad kui ka õpivad.
Shorter forms. ka may be left out, especially in simple pairs: nii hommikul kui õhtul. Keep ka when there could be confusion, because nii ... kui alone can also mean as ... as, as in nii külm kui eile. The longer niihästi ... kui ka is more formal.
Grammar notes. Do not put a comma between the parts. When nii ... kui ka joins two subjects, the verb is usually singular, though the plural is also used: Nii üks kui ka teine usub seda. The negative version is ei ... ega ka.
Examples (6)
- Ta räägib nii eesti kui ka vene keelt.
She speaks both Estonian and Russian.
Word by Word: she speaks so Estonian as also Russian language
- Seda teavad nii lapsed kui ka täiskasvanud.
Both children and adults know this.
- Oleme koos nii heas kui ka halvas.
We are together in good times and bad.
- Ta töötab nii kodus kui ka kontoris.
She works both at home and at the office.
- Siin saab süüa nii hommikul kui õhtul.
You can eat here both in the morning and in the evening.
ka is left out in this simple pair.
- Nii üks kui ka teine usub seda.
Both of them believe it.
The verb is usually singular after nii ... kui ka.
Common Mistakes
Using ja instead of kui ka after nii.
Ta räägib nii eesti ja vene keelt.Ta räägib nii eesti kui ka vene keelt.nii needs its partner kui (ka). Use either nii ... kui ka or a plain ja without nii.
Putting a comma before kui ka.
Ta räägib nii eesti, kui ka vene keelt.Ta räägib nii eesti kui ka vene keelt.The parts of nii ... kui ka are never separated by a comma.
How It Connects
Learn This First
nii ... kui ka joins two items, stressing both.
Related Patterns
- ei ... egaNeither ... nor
ei ... ega ka is the negative form of nii ... kui ka.
Level 3 - mitte ainult ... vaid kaNot Only ... but Also
mitte ainult ... vaid ka also joins two parts but makes the second one stronger.
Level 4 - sama ... kuiAs ... as
nii ... kui without ka can also compare equal things: nii külm kui eile.
Level 3 - ningFormal and (Ning)
ning is another way to join parts, common in writing.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice nii ... kui ka in Bubblegum
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